-2 days later-
The letters had been sent off and by now the Kage's had started making their way to the meeting place "Lady Tsunade please wake up" and Shizune was trying to wake Tsunade up "mmhhhmmmm" Tsunade mumbles out a little drool dribbling down her cheek "Urgh LADY TSUNADE WAKE UP THERE IS NO MORE SAKE" Sakura loudly announces causing the blonde woman to sit up flailing as her chair tips over sending the blonde sprawling out on the floor in her panic induced stupor "No more Sake" Tsunade screams angrily before finally realizing exactly just what had happened.
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah" Sakura was rolling around on the ground laughing like a maniac "You should've seen your face Lady Tsunade" the pinkette points pressing her lips together as her cheeks puff up from trying not to laugh her emerald eyes twinkling in repressed amusement all while Tsunade glared at her "Sakura" the blonde growls out warningly stalking over to the pinkette and before the sand around her wrist had a chance to react whacked the still laughing girl over the head "Owww meanie" Sakura stuck her tongue out childishly while rubbing her sore head "Brat" Tsunade dubs sitting in her seat.
Healing her sore noggin funny moment over Sakura stands up "Lady Tsunade it's been two days" Sakura pouted she didn't want the disbanded Akatsuki to get in trouble for being in the village and she had just been by to see them they were getting antsy with being cooped up in Kakashi's small apartment "Alright, alright, alright already" Tsunade groans slamming her head on her desk and breaking it in half "Not another one" Shizune hides her face in her hands in exasperation "Go get Inoichi Yamanaka and Shikaku Nara" Tsunade orders sending Shizune from the office in a hurry.
Outside the office Shizune creates a clone and giving the clone it's mission sends it from the building while she headed towards the Nara residence knocking on the door Shikaku's son Shikamaru answers the door "Oh hello Shizune" the boy greets dully shoulders slumping "What the heck kind of greeting is that" Shizune glares at the young boy before shaking her head and stalking past him when she spotted Shikamaru lounging on the couch a beer in his hand as he read the newspaper "Shikaku-san, Lady Tsunade has asked for you" Shizune calls out making the man groan but stand.
Task finished she leads the much taller than her man back to the Hokage's office meeting Inoichi along the way it was apparent her clone had completed it's task before leading the two to Tsunade where Sakura was crying fake tears and Tsunade was smirking "What on earth happened I've only been gone a few minutes" Shizune sighed hands on her hips before giving up when neither of the females answer "Nevermind that Shizune your in charge until we come back now quit your belly aching Sakura and act like a shinobi damnit" Tsunade barks out stalking from the office.
With the order Sakura hops up as if she hadn't been crying and follows Tsunade from the office leaving three shocked people behind when "Don't just stand there you two get a move on" Tsunade hollers from down the hall halfway down the steps causing the two men to skuttle out of the office after the two females both wondering what the hell was going on with their leader normally she was kinder to people unless Sakura was deliberately riling Tsunade up then there was no reason for the girl to go along Shikaku was about to ask the woman.
Before Shikaku could so much as even breathe a word Tsunade swung around and pinned him with a glare "It's punishment for being a brat and annoying me" Tsunade then turned back around and lead the party of 3 out of the village headed straight for the land of iron "Sakura what did you do" Inoichi ever the polite one asked the small pink-haired teen who his son harbored a crush on "Oh well um you see hehe" some words tumble from Sakura's mouth never giving a straight answer before Sakura turns and smiles extremely brightly at the two men.
Blinking at the smile Shikaku shakes his head while Inoichi drops the question it was clear by that smile that Sakura didn't want to talk about it until they got to the Summit and the meeting was underway "Sakura, did you know that Shikamaru has a crush on you" Shikaku speaks up drawing Inoichi's gaze before the man swung his head back around to stare at the now blushing girl upon closer examination it appeared the girl had dyed her bangs silver and he wondered when that had happened "Ah yes Shikaku-san" Sakura clears her throat glaring at the ground.
"Really" Shikaku asks in surprise and Sakura nods her head "It's not like Shika-kun hides it very well" Sakura admits watching the ground "Shika-kun" Shikaku questions confusedly "Ah my nickname for him sometimes he calls me Saku-chan only when he's in a rare mood" her head bobs up and down still staring at the damn ground "Sakura is the ground really that interesting" Shikaku coughs out in a laugh causing the girl to swing her head up and stare at him her mouth gaped open he had just figured out what she was doing she had fallen into his trap.
Narrowing her eyes Sakura mumbles "And here I thought Shikamaru was smart" causing all three of the adults to laugh "Sakura-san, Shikamaru learned everything from me" Shikaku pats her on her head before falling silent it was a few minutes before "Did you dye the tips of your bangs" Inoichi asks causing Sakura to look at him before rubbing the tips of her bangs between her fingers "No it just kinda happened" she admits after a few minutes causing the two men to share a look "Does Shibi know this" Tsunade asks with out stopping her hurried and fast pace.
"No he thinks I dyed it I didn't correct him" Sakura admits again causing Shikaku to share another look this time one filled with suspicion "Why isn't he your father" Shikaku asks walking slower to keep pace with the little girl "Yes, but if the clan knew the real reason they would look down on me again and dad doesn't need that kind of stress so if he wants to think I dyed the tips of my hair silver then that's what he'll think" Sakura sighed out pulling her long hair into a tight bun to sit atop her head.
"Why are the tips of your hair silver" Inoichi finally asks the question they were all wanting to know the answer to "When we went looking for Lady Tsunade the day before we arrived in Tanzaku town I met Hidan" Sakura started "He had lost his pendant so I helped him find it by summoning Tomo-kun it was stuck to his straw hat this necklace had something to do with his religion which he told me about while treating me to tea and dango's" she continued with story before stopping, waiting to see if they would ask her any questions.
"Go on Sakura-san" Inoichi gestured for her to continue engrossed in the story Sakura was telling "A few days later I sent him a letter asking him questions about this so called religion of his while I was training with Anko-sensei during the day he was inducting me into his religion during the night and because I was accepted so quickly the tips of my hair turned silver" Sakura finished suddenly "Well what is this religion about" Tsunade snapped from the front she didn't believe a single word of the story that Sakura had told them while they continued walking.
"Erm hehe it's about Jashin the god of slaughter" she spoke quickly before turning her head and whistling while Tsunade screeched "Are you telling me Sakura that you sacrifice people just for a made up god" Tsunade stopped in her tracks turning on her heels honey brown eyes blazing in fury "NO Are you crazy Lady Tsunade I only off the bad guys" Sakura stopped at the accusation emerald eyes filling with real tears this time and spilling down her cheeks in a torrent of emotions "Sakura who else knows besides Hidan" Tsunade asks softening her gaze seeing Sakura cry.
"Gaara and now you three" Sakura admits wiping her tears from her face all the while still crying "And for the record Lady Tsunade, Jashin does exist I've met him" she admits further choking on a laugh when Sasuke peeks his head out of her trenchcoat pocket and gives a squeak of agreement "What does Jashin look like then if your so adamant that he exists" Tsunade asks more curious now, tears slowing to a stop Sakura answers "He has long white hair that pools on the ground and violet eyes" she explains causing Tsunade to whistle in awed appreciation.
"Sounds like a hottie" she teases "Why like Shikamaru when you've got someone like Jashin" Tsunade snorts in amusement starting to walk again it was clear to Sakura that Tsunade didn't believe a single word she had said still "Lady Tsun..." Shikaku clamps his hand around Sakura's mouth to prevent her from calling out to the oblivious blonde woman "Sakura leave it" he hisses in her ear before quickly following after his Hokage Inoichi doing the same it was clear that the conversation was over for the time being until Shikaku could talk to her at a much later time.
Since they had to travel much further to get to the Land of Iron Tsunade pulled her group to a stop when it became nightfall and in amazement they watch Sakura scurry around the clearing Tsunade had chosen collecting twigs, large sticks, dry leaves and dry grass before digging into the ground building an impressive fire before digging matches out of her pack and lighting it when she was done Sakura stood still for a few minutes before dashing off in a random direction several minutes later she came back carrying a string of fish already gutted and already de-boned.
And a basket of large juicy berries they then watched as she bent over the fire choosing a stick and then speared all of the fish and set them up over the fire after sprinkling some kind of herb on them she did all of this in plain sight but Tsunade was still a little wary "It's parsley, salt and pepper" Sakura answers the un-asked question "If you don't believe me here" she held out a pinch for Tsunade sniffing it gently Tsunade then licks the small pinch checking for poison deeming it save mouth watering her stomach rumbles loudly.
A few minutes later Sakura deems the fish ready and the three adults dig in chewing on the fish in delight while Sakura takes little nibbles here and there as she reads a book when all the fish was finished the 4 settle down to sleep a couple hours later Sakura sits up in her sleeping bag holding her breath she stands slowly before walking over to the tree-line unaware that Shikaku was watching her and hops into a tree to do her evening ritual even though it was a bit late Shikaku was curious so he followed her silently.
"Hello Sakura-san" he whispers startling the girl who was mid prayer "Shikaku-san" she turns on her branch nearly falling off if it weren't for Shikaku reaching forward and grasping the end of her trenchcoat and setting her upright on the branch heart pounding Sakura uses chakra to anchor herself to the branch so that she wouldn't almost fall off again "What are you doing Sakura-san" Shikaku asks curiously eyeing the weird forest green pikes "Oh it's the evening prayer I have to do this or Lord Jashin gets a little angry" she admits while holding up a green pendant.
It held a triangle in a circle on it "You speak as if he exists" Shikaku tries again "He does just because you've never met him doesn't mean he isn't there in the shadows" Sakura grasps the pike before starting her prayer again and Shikaku watches on in horror as Sakura slashes herself on the wrists before falling over in what he thought was blood-loss he almost hopped out of the tree to wake Tsunade when Sakura came to a moment later and the slash wounds were completely healed "Yeah he was a little upset haha" Sakura gave a small laugh.
"Your wounds are completely healed I didn't see you heal them so how did they heal" Shikaku asks quickly "Oh it's a perk of being a Jashinist fast healing" Sakura admits quietly "So what other gifts do you have being a Jashinist as you put it" Shikaku asks again "Immortality but I don't have it right now but Jashin can give it to me and take it away any time he wants" Sakura pouts at this before falling silent consumed in her thoughts a large range of emotions cross her face before her lips settle into an extremely deep scowl.
"How does he take it away" Shikaku enquires curious to know more about this uknown religion 'What do you know there is something Shikaku-san doesn't know about' Sakura almost giggled but managed to keep a straight face while answering his newest question "I'm not exactly sure I'll have to ask the next time I see him" Sakura finally giggles "How many people have you sacrificed" he asks again and this causes Sakura to pause "2" she finally admits after a long while before she yawns widely "We should get some rest" Shikaku stands up stretching a little before jumping down.
"I'll be down soon Shikaku-san" came quietly from high up in the tree sighing Shikaku jumps back up "I'll wait for you then Sakura-san" he nods politely at Sakura who sighs she had been hoping to have a little privacy "Was there something you were going to do" Shikaku enquires when the girl just sits there a pout forming on her previous scowling lips "Oh well I was gonna talk to Jashin" Sakura admits sheepishly rubbing the back of her head and musing up her hair "But I suppose it can wait" she finishes before jumping out of the tree.
He watches as she slips into her sleeping bag and closes her eyes a few minutes later her breathing evens out and she was fast asleep following Shikaku lands on the ground silently and stalks silently over to his own sleeping bag zipping it back up he pillows his head with his hands watching the night sky lazily before Inoichi wakes up and takes over the watch 'Sakura Aburame is a mystery she'll be good for Shikamaru keep him on his toes' he thought yawning before finally slipping into a deep slumber only to be awoken hours later by screaming.